Osgood-Schlatter Disease

William C. Shiel Jr., MD, FACP, FACR

Dr. Shiel received a Bachelor of Science degree with honors from the University of Notre Dame. There he was involved in research in radiation biology and received the Huisking Scholarship. After graduating from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he completed his Internal Medicine residency and Rheumatology fellowship at the University of California, Irvine. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine and Rheumatology.

Osgood-Schlatter disease facts

Osgood-Schlatter disease is a painful inflammation in
the front of the bony leg below the knee.

Osgood-Schlatter disease can cause local pain,
inflammation, swelling, and calcification.

Osgood-Schlatter disease can be diagnosed by the history and examination.

Osgood-Schlatter disease can be helped
by antiinflammation and pain-relieving medications, ice, and rest.

What is Osgood-Schlatter disease?

Osgood-Schlatter disease is a disorder involving painful inflammation
of the lower front of the knee, where the large tendon (patellar tendon)
attached to the lower portion of the kneecap (patella) attaches to the bone
(tibia or shinbone) of the leg below. The
condition is characterized by localized pain where the tendon attaches to the
tibia and tenderness
in this area. Osgood-Schlatter disease is a disease of the growing child and is predominantly
seen in young adolescent boys. It is felt that stress on the bone from the tendon tugging it during activities leads to Osgood-Schlatter disease.

What are symptoms of Osgood-Schlatter disease?

Osgood-Schlatter disease is felt to
be due, in part, to recurrent pulling tension on the kneecap
tendon by the bulky muscles of the front of the thigh. The
irritation of this pulling can cause local pain, inflammation,
swelling, and in severe cases, an enlarged area of calcification of the tendon
where it attaches to the tibia that is visible
with an X-ray test.

How is Osgood-Schlatter disease diagnosed?

Osgood-Schlatter disease can be diagnosed clinically based on the typical
symptoms and physical examination findings. X-ray testing is sometime performed
in order to document the status of the calcification at the insertion of
kneecap (patellar) tendon. Sometimes a tiny piece of the growth area of the tibial
attachment is actually pulled away by the inflamed tendon.

What is the treatment and outlook for Osgood-Schlatter disease?

Patients with Osgood-Schlatter disease can be helped
by antiinflammation and pain-relieving medications, ice, activity modification, and rest.
Osgood-Schlatter disease typically goes away
over time (months to years after the normal bone growth
stops). Some adults who have had Osgood-Schlatter disease are left with "knobby" appearance to
the front of the knee. In rare cases, if a bone fragment in this area continues
to cause pain in adulthood, it may require surgery to remove.